By Donna Campisano, specialist, Communications, APHL

Effective disease prevention needs an all-hands-on-deck approach.

 And those hands—where an average of 3,200 different germs belonging to more than 150 different species can live—better be clean.

In celebration of Global Handwashing Day on October 15, we rounded up some well-known and not-so-well-known facts about handwashing and the important role it plays in keeping you healthy. Read on to test your knowledge and to learn more about handwashing best practices

Fact #1: Handwashing and its connection to disease prevention wasn’t fully recognized until the mid-1800s.

The 19th-century physician Oliver Wendell Holmes repeatedly stated that doctors were “agents of death.” And he wasn’t wrong. That’s because doctors routinely went from performing things like autopsies to delivering babies, all without washing their hands or changing their clothes. Not surprisingly, disease easily spread until the medical community gradually accepted the practice of preventative handwashing and instituted better hygiene/sanitation in hospital and medical settings.

Fact #2: Handwashing can save lives.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that handwashing can prevent 30% of diarrhea-related sickness and 20% of respiratory infections. Both are leading killers of children around the world.

Fact #3: We’re not washing our hands properly.

According to a US Department of Agriculture (USDA) study, people fail to properly wash their hands 97% of the time. What are some of the mistakes we’re making? Not washing our hands for the recommended 20 seconds and/or not using a clean towel to dry our hands. That latter tip, while it may seem inconsequential, is important as moist skin provides the perfect breeding ground for germs to grow. If given the choice, use paper towels in a public restroom. Hand driers can aerosolize germs.

Fact #4: Water temperature doesn’t matter.

Disease prevention experts say that when it comes to cleaning our hands, water temperature doesn’t matter. Use what you prefer, be it cold or warm. Hot water can be irritating to skin. 2022 FDA Food Code does set a minimum water temperature for hand washing – water must be at least 85°F, which seems to be a comfortable temperature for many because it’s near the temperature of people’s skin.

Fact #5: Bar or liquid soap? It’s up to you.

There’s no good evidence that one works better than the other. It has been shown, however, that antibacterial soap is no more effective at removing germs than plain soap, except for the type of antibacterial products used in health care settings. Experts do not recommend antibacterial soaps for home use for many reasons including its contribution to antibiotic resistance, a significant public health problem.

Fact #6: You need a good lather.

According to CDC, lather creates pockets that trap germs and dirt from your hands that are then more easily rinsed away. After you wet your hands, apply soap and vigorously rub your hands together (for at least 20 seconds). Rinse until all soap is removed. To keep hands clean, turn the faucet off with your elbow or a fresh towel.

Fact #7: Thoroughness is important.

Your palms and fingers aren’t the only places where bacteria hide. Make sure to wash your wrists, between your fingers and underneath your nails (a nail brush is a good investment).

Fact #8: Handwashing will help prevent antibiotic resistance.

The more routine antibiotic use becomes, the more likely antibiotic resistance develops. That’s because bacteria can change in response to the drugs commonly used to treat them, thereby making the drugs ineffective. Since handwashing helps prevent infections, it can also help prevent antibiotic resistance, a leading public health challenge.

Fact #9: Counters and cutting boards aren’t the only surfaces we cross-contaminate during meal prep.

The same aforementioned USDA study examined people as they cooked and found they contaminated spice jars 48% of the time while meal prepping and spread bacteria to refrigerator door handles 11% of the time. All this points to the importance of making sure your hands are clean before you, say, salt that chicken you just placed in a pan or put the eggs back into the fridge after you cracked a few into a bowl. Hands should be washed before and after handling raw meat, eggs, poultry, seafood, flour and other items.

Fact #10: There are some key times when hands should be washed.

Of course, we should strive to have clean hands all the time. But life gets germy and having clean hands 24/7 just isn’t practical. So when should hand washing be nonnegotiable? CDC recommends you always wash your hands:

• Before, during and after preparing food.
• Before and after eating.
• After using the bathroom, changing a diaper or helping someone else use the bathroom.
• Before and after having contact with someone sick.
• After using cleaning chemicals.
• After touching high-contact surfaces, like gas pumps, bank ATMs, etc.
• After sneezing, coughing or blowing your nose.
• After touching an animal, pet food/treats or animal waste.
• Before and after tending to a cut or wound.
• After touching garbage.

Fact #11: Hand sanitizer is OK to use—in a pinch

The most effective way of getting hands clean is by washing them with soap and water. According to CDC, hand sanitizers don’t remove all germs, including the highly contagious norovirus, which causes vomiting and diarrhea. They also won’t get rid of chemicals, pesticides or heavy metals that can contaminate hands. But if soap and water aren’t available, using hand sanitizer with 60% alcohol (read labels) is better than nothing. To use hand sanitizer properly, put a few drops in the palm of your hand (make sure you have enough to cover the entire surface of both hands) and rub your hands together until the sanitizer is dry—about 20 seconds. Let the sanitizer dry on your skin—don’t rinse or towel it off.

The post 11 Facts About Handwashing You Need to Know appeared first on APHL Blog.

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